The Walking Dead – AMC TV Show Shatters Records

On Sunday, Oct. 16 the premiere of the second season of “The Walking Dead” aired on AMC. The episode, titled “What Lies Ahead” drew in a total of 7.3 million viewers, breaking TV history’s “most watched drama” record.

According to AMC, “The season two premiere delivered 4.8 million Adults 18-49 and 4.2 million Adults 25-54 shattering a basic cable record set nearly 10 years ago for a single drama telecast.” This previous record was held by USA Network’s The Dead Zone.

“The Walking Dead” itself is a show based off of the comic book series create by Robert Kirkman. The Walking Dead follows sheriff Rick Grimes and his group of survivors as they try and find peace and a cure in a world that has been overrun by zombies.

The television show has been on for less than a year but has already received a solid following. Critics and fans alike have praised “The Walking Dead” not for it’s basic plot, but because it is a show that is mainly driven by character development.

Unlike other zombie horror movies and television shows the focus isn’t on the gore and action but instead of the relationships between the characters. When a character dies it’s not an opportunity to throw some blood into the mix but instead to torture with the emotions of the viewer.

“The post apocalyptic feel to the show is interesting,” says Warner Ball Wellston first-year, “The characters interact in a dynamic way, and the series’ storyline deviates from that of the average TV drama.”

Academy Award nominee Frank Darabont, famous for directing movies like Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, largely developed the first season. However, due to behind the scenes drama Darabont left the show after the first season. Fortunately the quality of “The Walking Dead” still remains alive and well.

The next episode will air on Sunday at 9:00 p.m. on AMC and will be revolved around Rick trying to save his son’s life. Furthermore, on Oct. 25 AMC renewed the show for it’s third season.